Toy block with internal lattice and lobes

ABSTRACT

A TOY BUILDING BLOCK HAS A RECTANGULAR BOX-LIKE BODY WITH OPEN BOTTON AND INTEGRAL TOP AND SIDE WALLS. PROJECTIONS EXTEND OUTWARDLY FROM THE TOP WALL. RIBS INSIDE THE BODY ARE JOINED TO EACH OTHER AND TO THE WALLS OF THE BODY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO DEFINE RECTANGULAR CELLS. CYLINDRICAL LOBES INTEGRALLY FORMED WITH THE RIBS EXTENDING LATERALLY INTO ADJACENT CELLS. EDGES OF THE RIBS ARE COPLANAR AND SPACED INWARDLY OF THE FLAT BOTTOM EDGE OF THE BODY OF THE BLOCK. THE LOBES HAVE FREE CYLINDRICAL END PORTIONS EXTENDING BEYOND THE RIBS AND TERMINATING SHORT OF THE PLANE OF THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE BODY OF THE BLOCK.

March 16, 1971 YOSHIHIRO KISHI 3,570,170

TOY BLOCK WITH INTERNAL LATTICE AND LOBES Filed Nov. 13, 1968 INVENTOR Yoshi/2 [r0 lf/Sh/ ATTORNEYS United States Patent Int. (:1. A6311 33/08 US. CI. 46-25 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toy building block has a rectangular box-like body with open bottom and integral top and side walls. Projections extend outwardly from the top wall. Ribs inside the body are joined to each other and to the walls of the body at right angles to define rectangular cells. Cylindrical lobes integrally formed with the ribs extending laterally into adjacent cells. Edges of the ribs are coplanar and spaced inwardly of the flat bottom edge of the body of the block. The lobes have free cylindrical end portions extending beyond the ribs and terminating short of the plane of the bottom edge of the body of the block.

The present invention relates to the toy building elements and more particularly to toy building bricks or blocks each having a rectangular hollow body made of synthetic resin integrally formed on its top wall are several spaced cylindrical columnar projections and integral ly formed inside the body is a corresponding number of cells for receiving the columnar projections of another block so that a plurality of blocks may be assembled or build together.

These toy building blocks may be used in various numbers up to several thousands to assemble a building, bridge, tower or the like.

In assembling a large structure, the blocks must be fitted closely with each other, otherwise the elaborately built up structure may crumble down.

The toy building blocks after having been assembled into a desired structure are usually disengaged and used repeatedly for assembling other structures. Therefore, when breaking up the assembled structure, the joined blocks need to be easily detachable from each other by pulling them in the opposite directions. It is also required that the blocks have sufficient strength to withstand deformation or damage in repeated use. The toy buildings are constructed by assembling up a plurality of unit blocks of the same configuration, so that if even one of the unit blocks is deformed, fitting with other blocks is still pos sible.

Thus, the blocks need to have two basic characteristics, one to retain the closely fitted condition and the other to permit easy detachment from each other when the blocks are pulled in the opposite directions.

The toy block of the present invention is basically entirely made of synthetic resin, and the bottom-opened box-like unit block has formed on its top face several columnar projections and has also formed on its inner face, or in the inside of the box, a lattice work corresponding in position to said projections, with each latus or rib of the lattice work having integrally formed thereto a columnar lobe of which the end axially protrudes from the edges of the ribs but terminates short of the bottom flat rectangular edge of the block to receive in frictional engagement the projections on the top 'wall of another block.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide building blocks constructed in such manner that 3,570,179 Patented Mar. 16, 1971 the projections formed on the top face of a unit block may be dovetailed in the spaces between the columnar lobes formed in a lattice work provided on the inside face of another unit block, thereby fixedly coupling together the unit blocks.

It is another object of the present invention to provide such blocks which are arranged such that the projections on the top surface of a unit block are retained by the columnar projections provided in a lattice work on the inside face of another unit block, and which may be closely fitted together even if the projections on the top surface are reduced in length and may also be easily joined and disjoined with application of a slight force.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide the blocks having durability and structural solidity despite the external forces possibly given in all directions since the space in each unit block is partitioned in a lattice work.

Other objects of the invention Will appear from the following description of an embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy block according to the present invention:

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a toy block of which the interior is partitioned in the shape of a lattice work to form eight cells, with columnar projections being provided one on each latus of the lattice work.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view as taken on the line 3-3 and locked in the arrow-marked direction of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view illustrating an assembled condition of the toy blocks; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view as taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring now in general to the drawings, it will be seen that the block of the present invention comprises a body portion 11 which has side walls, end Walls and a top wall and is opened at the bottom. On the top wall of the body portion 11 is provided a plurality of projections which are equally spaced from each other. In the shown embodiment, such projections 12 are arranged in two rows i.e., four projections on each row, but the number of such projections may be optionally varied as desired. Also, the shape of the projections, although circular in the shown embodiment, may take other configurations as so desired to suit the occasion.

The body portion 11 of the block is hollow and partitioned by ribs 14 integral with and perpendicular to each other and to the walls of the block; like a lattice to form rectangular cells 13 in which the projections 12 provided on the top wall of another block can be snugly fitted. Namely, the cells 13 are formed to correspond in position to the projections 12 of another block when two blocks are joined together (see FIG. 2).

The depth of each rib 14 is slightly smaller than the depth of the side and end walls of the body portion 11, so that the coplanar free edges of the ribs are spaced slightly from the bottom free edge of the 'body portion 11. It will also be noted that each of the ribs 14 or partitions defining the cells 13 has integrally formed thereto a cylindrical lobe 15 with semicylindrical portions bulging laterally into the cells. The lobes 15 extend integrally with the ribs from the inside face of the top wall of the body portion 11 toward the bottom opening of the block, with cylindrical free ends of the lobes protruding axially be yond the ribs 14 but not beyond the bottom edge of the block and aligning with each other in a plane spaced from the plane of the free edges of the ribs and from parallel the bottom edge of the body portion 11. These end portions of the lobes serve as guide members to facilitate insertion of the projections of another block and also serve to grip these projections frictionally.

The block of the present invention is constructed as described above, so that when two or more blocks are joined together, the projections 12 provided on the top Wall of the body portion 11 are frictionally retained by the side and/ or end walls and two or three columnar lobes 15. It should here be noted that the lobes 15 protrude axially beyond the ribs 14, so that the parts of the ribs joined to the lobes flex to produce in the lobes 15 an elastic force which proves helpful to facilitate holding of the projections 12 and to secure the projections 12 in position, thus permitting solid connection and assemblage of the unit blocks and eliminating possibility of casual disengagement of the blocks after they are assembled. Also, since each projection 12 is frictionally held at four points, the resultant engagement is extremely strong. Therefore, there is no need of relatively elongating the projections 12 and inserting them deep into the cells as in the conventional blocks. According to the arrangement of the present invention, the projections are satisfactorily firmly retained in position by the lobes 15 and the side walls of the body portion despite the reduced length of the projections 12. This also proves advantageous in permitting easy disengagement of the assembled blocks by lightly pulling them in the opposite directions.

It should additionally be pointed out that the body portion 11, the projections 12, the lattice ribs 14 and the rib lobes 15, which in combination compose the block of the present invention, are integrally molded out of synthetic resin material.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment shown since it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A toy block comprising a rectangular box-like body having flat top and side walls integrally joined together and having an open bottom with a rectangular, flat bottom edge; a plurality of spaced projections integrally formed with said top wall and extending outwardly therefrom; a plurality of ribs inside said body defining a plurality of rectangular cells, said ribs being joined integral- 1y together and to the inner sides of said walls at right angles forming a latticework in said body, said ribs terminating in fiat coplanar other edges spaced inwardly from the flat bottom edge of said body; and cylindrical lobes integrally formed with said ribs, each of said lobes extending axially perpendicularly to said top wall and parallel to the side walls, each lobe having diametrically opposed cylindrically curved portions extending laterally into two adjacent cells in said body for frictionally engaging other projections of another block when inserted into said body, each of said lobes having a free cylindrical end portion extending axially beyond the edges of said ribs and terminating short of the bottom edge of body for guiding said other projections into frictional engagement with said lobes, said ribs being elastically flexible so that the lobes engage said other projections under pressure imparted by the flexed ribs.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,034,254 5/ 1962 Christiansen 46-25 FOREIGN PATENTS 229,861 8/ 1960 Australia 46-25 1,256,070 2/1961 France 46-25 1,042,412 9/ 1966 Great Britain 4625 0 F. BARRY SHAY, Primary Examiner 

